To Heal With Jade
by LoreilDarksky00
Summary: To Repair With Gold's sequel. Ashka Ketchum is determined to enjoy a vacation with her friends and family in Rota; if only Fate was cooperating. If it's not one mess its another, and suddenly more mysteries about her aura and role in the world are being revealed. Hindered by denial, Ash must discover her power and her purpose, and more pressingly, why that Lucario won't STOP.
1. Chapter 1

"_You get two choices," Giovanni said, tone doing a remarkable mimicry of reasonable even as he stood before her, idly watching the blood trail down her wrists from where the iron shackles hoisted them above her head. "You can join Team Rocket, a clean slate, no punishment for all the trouble you've caused me… or you and every single one of your Pokemon can die. It's really quite simple."_

_Her head was pounding, heartbeat unsteady in her ears, and she wanted more than anything to have enough strength to spit at this monster. But she couldn't even muster up enough energy to raise her head. There was blood in her eyes, stinging and warm, coating her skin in sluggish waves even as blinding agony drifted through her body in similar motions. Her wrist was probably broken from how hard she'd been tugging at the metal binding it earlier, in a frantic fit after being dosed with something that made her so twitchy and paranoid it was a wonder she wasn't seeing double at minimum._

"_I'll let you think on it for a night," the leader of Team Rocket said, the subtle lilt of mockery almost flying over her head completely. _

_Soon enough he was gone, and she licked her lips, dry and cracked and swollen from the punch Giovanni had landed earlier. Every part of her ached, burned, bruises from the battle and being captured making it all but impossible to concentrate. She had to get free. There was no way she would ever join Team Rocket, and Giovanni knew it; he was just dragging things out until he killed her. For some reason, the thought of being murdered wasn't what sent her heart seizing in her chest. It was the thought of what he would do to her Pokemon, her team, they were still trapped__－_

Ash jerked upright, panting and gaze taking far too long to focus on her surroundings. The phantom pain in her shoulders only eased slightly as she realized that it was only a dream－only a memory. Giovanni was dead, by Mewtwo's hand, and she and her Pokemon were no longer held captive. Taking a few slow, shaky breaths, she glanced around the darkened hotel room she shared with Delia, Grace, Serena, Daisy, and Misty. The others were still asleep.

Rubbing at her eyes, she slipped out of the bed, shivering as the cool air met sweaty skin. She hadn't had a nightmare about her time spent in that Rocket base in a couple of weeks, and the sudden return of them was more jarring than she had expected. With only slight fumbling, she managed to get her day bag and drag it out onto the balcony with her, digging through it until her hands hit her target.

Lance picked up on the third ring, not a video call only because she hadn't wanted him to see how mess up she probably looked right now－her voice would be bad enough, she was sure, throat feeling raw.

"Ash?" The sleepy mumble calmed her with weird ease. Relaxing against the wall, she closed her eyes.

"Sorry for waking you. I just… needed someone to talk to me. Just for a few minutes," she added softly.

"Nightmares again, huh? You sure you don't want me to send you the list of League-clearance therapists?"

"No, not really. Not yet."

A sigh, but it was fond rather than exasperated, and that helped with the flicker of guilt that had been gnawing at her for the secrets.

"Just remember you have people who want to help you, Ashka," Lance gently scolded, his voice low and soothing. "I'll be here either way, okay? So is there anything you want to talk about, or should I just start waxing poetic about my Dragonite's newest mid-air technique and not tell you any real details?"

"... You're so mean to me, Lance," she mock whined, settling down onto the smooth cement of the balcony and letting his voice wash over her, not paying attention to the words so much as the fact that he was there, speaking to her, anchoring her to reality. She'd only gotten lost in the nightmares twice before, each time requiring Oberon to do some serious digging into her mind to pull her back, and she wasn't in any way eager to try that again.

The sun had risen over the tops of the surrounding buildings by the time she was dubbed good enough to allow to be left unsupervised, and while she apologized for keeping the Champion up so late, he denied it firmly and made her promise－again－to call whenever she needed to. Intensely grateful for her redheaded friend, Ash listened to the dial tone for a moment before shaking her head and hanging up, stretching before heading back inside the hotel. Today was the day she would enter Rota's Hero Tournament and hopefully be granted an audience with the queen; she really wanted access to the many journals and texts written by the Aura Guardians of old that were kept in the palace.

XxXxX

Okay, so he wasn't _supposed_ to be spying on his pseudo-sister, but he was _worried_, dammit, and Vera was very sneaky when she wanted to be and had excellent hearing. A little translating from Alakazam and Gary now knew that Ash was having nightmares on a regular basis, enough to warrant Lance offering a list of therapists that would undoubtedly have the security clearance to talk Ash through what was likely PTSD from when that bastard Rocket leader had her captive.

Gary slunk back into the hotel room the boys were sharing, having thanked Vera and Alakazam for their help and returning them before opening the door again, and scowled. While he'd already figured he'd have to keep a close eye on her, it hadn't occurred to him－though it _should_ have－to be on the lookout for the aftereffects of everything she'd gone through. With a small, grumpy sound, he sank back onto his bed, ignoring the slow shuffling from somewhere behind him on one of the others.

"Where'd you go, Gary?"

Glancing over at Brock, he shrugged. "… Checking on Ash. She's having nightmares, apparently."

There was a soft swear, and more rustling that Gary ignored in favor of flopping back onto the mattress.

"And of course she says nothing. That girl… And today's the tournament. At least that should keep her focused on _that_, rather than the nightmares. I'll get on breakfast, it's on you to convince her to eat enough for the day."

"Will do." If aggressively mothering Ash was what it took to keep her stable, then that's what they'd do. Gary _had_ noticed the dark shadows beneath her eyes, and wished he'd said something about it sooner, but at least he knew she was strong enough to bounce back, though he'd definitely be there to help. It was more comforting to know that both Brock and Misty would be traveling with her going forward, and that Serena and Calem would be tagging along for a while. The Maple munchkins helped too, but they'd be going back home sooner than the Kalosians.

Speaking of, Calem groaned as he woke up fully. "Arceus, that girl needs therapy and a lot of hugs."

"She'd probably fistfight you for suggesting it."

The muffled sound of fear had the other boys laughing, and soon enough they were getting ready for the day. Gay and Calem would also be entering the tournament, though the former had yet to decide which of his Pokemon he was registering with. He was leaning towards Arcanine, but Umbreon was still a possibility.

XxXxX

Ash shifted her weight, Pikachu easily balancing on her shoulder as she waited for her turn to register. While it was possibly overkill, using him for this, she really wanted that audience with the queen, and Titania and Oberon were busy with the two Eevee kits that hadn't been chosen by the Maple siblings, so she didn't want to disturb them any more than she had to. Greninja was _major_ overkill in an arena like this, and given the size of both Alto and Houndoom, it was just easier to use her official starter.

All around her were more casual trainers, though everybody had gotten really into the medieval theme and some costumes were almost excessively elaborate. What she wore now was a slightly adjusted replica of Sir Aron's uniform, with a longer tunic that fell to mid-thigh and leggings instead of the stiff jacket and pants. It was still somewhat uncomfortable, given the primly starched fabric, and hopefully she would only have to wear it for a few hours. She had to admit that swirling the cape dramatically was pretty fun, though.

"Chu." Her little partner's ears were held straight up, twitching as he inspected their surroundings. It wasn't as big or noisy as the League Conference, so this time he actually had the chance to seek out individual sources of sound and scent.

"We'll be able to explore more after we win," she murmured, confident in their chances. In all honesty Ash was very motivated－to be able to read through even a small number of the texts on aura the kingdom boasted would no doubt help her significantly. Then again, with Zapdos having recommended it she would have been an idiot not to go for it for that alone.

If Mewtwo was willing, he and Oberon could help her puzzle through some of the theory she had the feeling would fly over her head; rumor had it that old-school aura training was _complicated_. Shaking her head to clear it, she refocused and stepped forwards in line, until she was able to sign up and then move over to the waiting area, sidling up next to Brock.

The older boy threw an arm around her shoulder, careful not to startle Pikachu.

"Ready?"

"You bet," she grinned back, eyes trailing over the rest of the competitors, lingering over the girl with the Snorlax and the man with the Leafeon. The way the Pokemon moved spoke of experience, and she hoped she got to face them in the latter portions of the tournament.

"I should have guessed," Brock said lightly. "You really want access to those books."

"Its possibly the only way I'll be able to get any solid training for my aura, I kind of have to aim to win this. I really need some help with learning to control my senses better, its getting ridiculous－its not just aura now, its sight, hearing, and _smell_."

Brock winced at the last one, correctly realizing that that wasn't always a good thing. "Oof, is everything alright now? Need to find somewhere with less people?"

"Nah, I'm fine right now. Definitely will later, though."

"Let me know if I can help."

Nodding at the offer, Ash returned to surveying the competition, feeling anticipation well up. It hadn't been that long since the end of the Conference, but she was still antsy to get more battles in－it was just how she was. Her partner shared her feelings, clawed grip on her shoulder shifting as he waiting for the battles to start.

Threads of cold running down her spine, leftovers of the morning's nightmares, were easily ignored, like always. At least that was over with now. It wasn't like she'd have to go up against criminal teams over and over again, right?

XxXxX

**So sorry for the long wait, it has been one hell of a new year. Work has been running me ragged, so I barely have time to eat, much less write, but bit by bit we're getting there. **


	2. Chapter 2

"Move nine!"

Pikachu shouted out his wholehearted agreement, blitzing away from an incoming Flamethrower and turning into little more than a blur of dust kicked up from where he launched to the next point of the technique. Their opponent's Typhlosion whirled, maw gaping as it continued to belt out more fire in the hopes that it would catch.

"Iron Tail!" She called, nodding to her herself when Pikachu nailed Typhlosion right in the gut, sending it flying back into the stone walls. Wincing at the loud crack of impact, she was relieved when her opponent just recalled his partner. That one had sounded nasty, and would probably bruise quite a bit. Raising an arm to acknowledge her opponent, she hurried back to the waiting area to see who she'd be facing next. There were another two rounds until the semi finals, so she was getting close.

A hastily scrawled note, pinned to the competition board, told her that she would be facing whoever won the third battle after the one going on right then, so she had a bit of time before they'd call her back out. Ignoring Pikachu's claw tips lightly digging into her skull as he clambered onto the top of her head, Ash looked around before her eyes settled on Gary. She made her way over, crouching down to greet Umbreon.

"Are you gonna destroy all the walls or was that Typhlosion just special?" He asked dryly, arms crossed as he leaned back.

"Pika!" Her starter protested indignantly, earning a huff of laughter.

Shaking her head, Ash gestured towards her pseudo-brother. "When's your next match?"

"After yours, I've got that dude in the clown suit." The look of bewildered disgust on Gary's face had her choking back a laugh.

There was always _someone_ with a theme when it came to trainers, and Gary had had the misfortune to come across a number of beyond creepy clowns. He'd never admit it but they scared the hell out of him, which Ash thought was hilarious but had the tact not to say so.

The next half hour or so was spent watching the competition, which unfortunately wasn't as tough as the League Conference they'd just recently been through. Of course, in many ways that was a good thing, as it meant a much higher chance of Ash winning and being able to meet the queen and request access to the ancient records normally restricted to Rota's aura guardians.

It still meant that all her Pokemon were basically overkill. Gary's, too.

Her next match went even quicker than the last, with Pikachu not playing around in the least, and Gary also won his handily. Delighted by the propect of getting a proper battle from him, Ash waiting for the next round to be announced, once again in a different bracket than her psuedo-brother.

"We could be fighting Gary soon," she murmured to Pikachu, who's ears perked up in interest. Actually, she didn't think any of her Pokemon had fought any of Gary's, so this could be a lot of fun.

A low hum in the back of her mind caught her attention, and with a quiet, sharp inhale Ash glanced around-there, at the far side of the stadium, lurking in the shadows of one of the castle's towers, was a cloaked figure. Mewtwo's presence in her mind shifted slightly, a soft greeting, and she grinned.

She hadn't had much of a chance to spend time with Mewtwo, but he'd stuck around anyways. Sometimes he'd hitch a ride in the back of her mind, or chat with Oberon in the same manner, but she was hoping that, should she get permission from the Queen, she'd be able to spend more time with him as she studied the texts in the royal library. He was more than capable of getting in and out without being noticed.

Much to Ash's delight, the final was between her and Gary. Pikachu's cheeks sparked eagerly as they made their way down to the field for the last battle of the day, having wanted to fight Umbreon for quite a while now. Oberon and Titania would no doubt be watching closely, Vera too, as well as the Eevee kits. The quartet of Normal types had become quite enamored with both their parents and other Eeveelutions, following them around like ducklings in the hopes of learning something cool.

Smirking across the field at Gary, who grinned back with a jaunty little wave, Ash shared a look with Pikachu. They'd be putting on a show for the little ones, this time, but also _finally_ getting a proper battle from the boy who'd gone and declared himself Ash's rival-and then never challenged her. Jerk.

The referee lifted his arm, and Ash tense, Pikachu readying himself to jump onto the field.

Time to see which of them was the stronger trainer!

XxXxX

Mew squirmed her way under Mewtwo's arm, watching the tournament with no small amount of mixed satisfaction and relief. Ashka was doing amazingly well, and her team only continued to grow in strength. There had been a few hangups, a slight roster change that had Celebi and Dialga somewhat concerned, but all had turned out alright. Well, there were a few things that needed fixing, Charmander's damaged body, for one, not to mention two certain Grass and Water types that had been Teleported to Rota in preparation, but that would be fixed soon enough.

It was definitely a weight off Mew's heart, to see those broken souls merged into something even more beautiful than before. Ashka had healed wonderfully, though there was still more to go. None of her fellow Legendaries would be saying anything just yet, not until they were sure the truth wouldn't undo all the healing Ashka's soul had managed.

_'She will be fine, mother,'_ Mewtwo sighed, exasperated. _'When she is ready to remember I'm sure she'll understand...'_

Mew nodded in agreement, though she couldn't help but wonder. Before, there had been so many more Pokemon that had joined that team, each a wonderful example of their kind. Still, she rather liked the team Ashka had this time around, too... Ah, well. They'd done what they could, and would continue to do so.

She would definitely have to focus and stay on top of things here, though; Lucario was waiting for her signal in order to make use of Ashka's aura to unseal himself from the staff. He had retained his memories of the last timeline, and hopefully it would help so he wouldn't have to die this time around. Victini was keeping an eye on the tree of life for her at the moment, making sure that Kidd didn't set off the tree's immune system this time.

Honestly, humans could be so reckless when they were curious. Like a bunch of kittens, they were.

Mew ignored her heavily-altered son's cough-disguised laughter and psychic projection of deep irony as she said that out loud to him. She could always dump him in a lake later for the disrespect. She was a responsible grown up, thank you very much.

XxXxX

Ash grinned wildly as the referee declared her the winner of the tournament, scooping up Pikachu as she darted across the field to tackle Gary in a hug. He'd trained Umbreon _incredibly_ well, the Dark type making full use of her natural abilities and then some to make them work hard for the victory. Pikachu had had to really push even his exceptional stamina and speed in order to finally keep Umbreon down for the count, because he had just kept getting up and coming back for more. He'd tanked _three_ consectutive Thunders and had the energy to trade blows with Quick Attack for another several minutes after before finally collapsing.

"We _have_ to do a full six-on-six back home before I head out to the Orange Islands," she crowed, latching onto his back after he'd recalled his Umbreon. "If we don't get to fight your full team I will _scream_."

"Please don't," he said wryly, just as flushed and out of breath as she was from the intense battle. "And don't worry, I want a full battle just as much as you do."

It had definitely been a much higher level than Rota generally hosted, though from the way the crowd was cheering they'd enjoyed every moment. Ash had loved it; Gary was brilliant, and his strategies were even trickier when she experienced them in person. Umbreons weren't built naturally for tanks, but whatever training her psuedo-brother had come up with had made up the gap, and his Umbreon _excelled_ in endurance and stamina, not to mention some serious power behind his physical moves. Pikachu would definitely be feeling that for a few days, even after being seen by Nurse Joy.

Ash reluctantly peeled herself away when the referee motioned for her to follow him, but resettled the cape as she dropped back onto her own feet and with one last squeeze released Gary to do as prompted.

"Congratulations, Lady Ashka," the man, outfitted as a squire or something similar, smiled at her, leading her down one of the halls after they'd exited the battlefield. "That was, without a doubt, one of the most impressive battles I've ever seen in this tournament." 

"Thank you, it was one of my best as well. I was looking forwards to it, Gary is an excellent trainer," she admitted, carefully cradling her exhuasted partner.

"Indeed, Sir Gareth is very skilled!"

Valiantly holding in a snicker at the name, Ashka gave herself a quick once-over for tidiness. It wouldn't do to meet a queen looking anything less than perfect. Especially when she hoped to ask for a favor, being rumpled and disorderly would just be insulting!

Soon after she was instructed to wait outside the throne room until she heard herself be announced to the queen, and how to greet her, and she took a few calming breaths. The feathers on her chest pulsed gently, Zapdos' prickling not unpleasantly, a reminder of why she needed to speak with the queen. The Legendary bird had told her to look into healing, so she would.

On hearing her name loudly announced, she steeled herself and entered the throne room, walking up the center of the room as she followed the colored stones that made up the floor. As she followed earlier directions and bent on one knee, Ash could hear several whispers from up ahead of her.

"Rise, Lady Ashka, Hero of the tournament. We welcome you to Our kingdom."

"I am honored to be here," Ash returned, doing her best to keep her voice steady as she lifted her head to see Queen Ilene. She was fairly young, her blonde hair vibrant against the more subtle shade of lavender of her dress. A cheery little Mime Jr played at her feet.

"Your battle impressed Us," Ilene said with a warm smile. "As is tradition, as the Hero, you may have this audience with Us before you attend this evenings ball. Have you any questions?"

"I do, your majesty," she nodded. "During my journey as a Pokemon Trainer I discovered I was capable of using aura, and it was recommend I come here, to learn the art of healing. I would like to request both permission to access some of the records relating to aura kept here, and if possible to speak with one of the Aura Guardians here, in the hopes of farthering my training as much as I can for the weeks I am in Rota."

The young queen straightened at that, eyes shining. "Truly? It has been quite some time since there has been an adept seeking training in Our kingdom. May We see what you can do as of now?"

"Mostly I can use passive aura enhancements," Ash admitted, but she lifted her hand and focused. This was something she hadn't mastered, but she could get the basic manipulation visible. A softly glowing blue orb formed in her hand, wobbling but very much present. It wasn't an Aura Sphere, but it had the potential to be. "I'm afraid that other than making myself stronger and faster there hadn't been much I could learn on my own, aside from developing a large sensory range where I can detect life and the emotions of others."

"Still, for your age that is impressive. It pleases Us greatly to grant your request. Will you be seeking to enter an apprenticeship?"

Ash faltered, uncertain. "I'm afraid I don't know what exactly that entails..."

Ilene's smile softened. "We assign a mentor of sorts to each adept, who is charged with both teaching and ensuring their apprentice's safety, as well as providing a line of contact through which We may call for your return to Rota. Should you wish, you are welcome to continue your own travels, though We do prefer that you do not slack in your studies. Formal events, such as the yearly tournament, and the week of the new year, are subject to Our decision as far as your presence being required. Such times are a matter of tradition and sharing of knowledge. Should you become an Aura Guardian, We would send you various requests and missions relevant to your location that would aid Us if you wish to keep travelling."

That was a _very_ flexible as far as training went; essentially two weeks out of the year wasn't a lot of time to ask for, and it wasn't exactly a sacrifice to have to come to the beautiful kingdom. Having someone she could ask about the finer details of aura would be a massive help, too.

"In that case, I believe I will seek apprenticeship," Ash bowed.

"That is wonderful news," Ilene beamed. "We shall assign a suitable mentor by the end of this evening's ball, and introduce you. Have you any preferences?"

"No, your majesty, I trust your decision will be perfectly suited."

"In that case, We shall see to it at once. In the meantime, We shall leave you to explore the castle, should you be so inclined. Please be inside the main entrance before nightfall, your presence is required to open the ball."

Knowing a dismissal when she heard one, Ash bowed again. "Thank you, your majesty."

She was escorted out to the main courtyard, where various guests and tourists were milling about, and breathed a sigh of relief. That went even better than she could have hoped; she'd sort of expected to have to take a bunch of notes from what few books she'd be able to read through, but having an actual mentor would mean she could learn a lot more, and not have to fumble her way through any situations that popped up.

Plus... if she could learn to use aura to heal... maybe, just maybe, she could heal the damage done to Coach. She wasn't sure if she could fix things to where he could ever evolve, but it had been eating away at her for some time, the possibility of his body being repaired enough so that he wasn't so limited.

During the conference she hadn't let herself dwell on the idea, but now... Well. She'd have to ask about the limits of healing with aura, and whoever her mentor was would be the first she would ask.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello, readers!**

**I know I've been terribly slow on this fic, I AM working on it but honestly I am having to force it a little. Things are all planned out but getting it out of my head and onto the word docs is a lot harder than it should be, and for that I'm sorry. I'm back at school so while I am still busy, I'm hoping I'll have more chapters on a more regular basis. Thanks to everyone who stuck it out and waited, your reviews made it easier to claw back that motivation.**

**Onto the chapter that really gave the summary its wording :)**

* * *

Opening the ball didn't take much work, just involved standing near Queen Ilene while she spoke for a few minutes, looking offical in her replica Aura Guardian outfit. Ash then just had to sit on the special chair and look heroic, which she accomplished by letting her team sprawl out on and around her.

Alto had tested the chair's sturdiness before perching on its high back, her long neck giving her an excellent view of the ballroom, and she sang along to several songs, much to everyone's delight. Houndoom was sitting to her right, eyes alert but body relaxed. He would much prefer to be outside playing, but just spending time with his trainer was good too.

Oberon and Titania were actually out and about the ballroom, riding herd on their kits and sticking pretty close to May and Max while Norman and Caroline went dancing. Every now and then Ash saw them drift over to one of her other friends, checking in and getting scritches, before sweeping back around again.

Pikachu had claimed the left arm of the chair, which Greninja was also leaning on, the two chatting about something or other while her Water type propped up the staff of Aron. Meanwhile, Coach was getting lavished with attention from Ash, as he hadn't been her focus during either tournament and she was determined to do better.

"Maybe I should get you a little jacket," she told him thoughtfully. "One of those sporty ones, how's that sound?"

"Char!" He gave her a toothy grin, delighted by the idea. Serena had no doubt been playing dress up with him again, he'd wandered around in several rather dapper outfits during the lead up to the tourament today. She was probably going to have to commision her friend to make the jacket (a tiny hoodie, in red and white, maybe, or red and black) in any case, the blonde's work was phenomenal.

Running a hand down the Charmander's rich orange scales, Ash let her gaze sweep over the ballroom again. A number of people had come up to chat or say hi, or in kids and younger trainers' case to fawn over the Pokemon, who were more than happy to nuzzle or lick them in greeting. She was very lucky in that regard, while she had a couple shyer ones her Pokemon were friendly unless you were a threat to her.

In the crowd, there were no less than three fully fledged Aura Guardians wandering about, though none of them had come close enough for her to greet. All three had met her gaze fully and offered a nod, or in the youngest man's case, a small smile.

Wondering if any of them were going to be her mentor, Ash had been trying to be on her best behavior, refusing to look bored or fidget. At least with her team around her there were reasons to twist in her chair, or shift around a bit.

Fortunately, the dancing only went on for about an hour before Queen Ilene stood from her throne, a respectful hush falling over the ballroom. The blonde queen went down the first set of steps from the dias, a moment later all three Aura Guardians in their traditional Rotan uniform assembling to her right while Ash remained seated to her left. As this was the 'signal' she'd been instructed by Jenny, Ilene's handmaiden, to wait for in order to do the hero pose, Ash gentle transfered Coach to Greninja's grip, even as her first two partners slipped out of the crowd in order to join them, two Eevee kits in tow.

"We will now begin the evening party," Queen Ilene announced. her voice carrying through the marble hall. "The Hero of the year will see it off."

Standing, Ash gave a bow to the queen and snuck a final glance at the massive portrait of Sir Aaron that took up most of the wall on her direct left. Lifting the staff high, cradling the jewel capped end with her left arm held straight and right arm bent so the bottom end of the staff was angled towards the floor.

Stiffening when her feathers heated rapidly on her chest, Ash's eyes went wide as the first fireworks went off, light and noise almost blocking out the crystalline tinkling sound the staff's gem gave off as a spark of aura pulsed within it.

Immediately tuning her senses to that spark, Ash ignored the three surges of aura to her far right and focused, a small frown of confusion taking over her face.

There was something... _inside_ the crystal...?

_Hello, little one._

With a jolt, Ash reared back from the non-verbal words that were warm with fondness and squinted against the sudden radiance the gem began to emit, the white light drawing the attention of everyone in the ballroom. Gasps could be heard above a low, bell-like tone that sounded as the light intensified, and Ash nearly lost her grip on the staff as it jerked, forced backwards when a beam of energy shot out towards the opposite side of the room.

Mentally calling for Oberon, Ash blinked rapidly to clear the spots from her vision and had to gasp herself.

There, kneeling with its eyes closed, was a Lucario.

A Lucario that had been trapped inside Sir Aaron's staff.

There was a stunned silence as Lucario stood, the appendages behind his ears rising and falling as his aura washed over the room, before he finally opened his red eyes.

_Hail, daughter of Aaron._

The tenor voice was being projected through his own aura, Ash realized, shortly before what he'd actually _said_ sunk in, and she slowly lowered the staff in shock. Without really thinking about it she responded in kind, _knowing_ this like she'd known so many other strange things.

"Hail, Lucario of Aaron."

The corners of his eyes crinkled upwards as he smiled, padding forwards and closing the distance. He did pause in front of the queen and bow, but otherwise didn't stop until he stood right in front of Ash.

_We've much to speak of, but not here. _He turned back, heedless of the murmuring of the crowd. _My Queen, might we seek a private audience with you? I am... unsure of how much time has passed, but there are things I must learn before I share that which I know._

Ilene's shock was quickly schooled into acceptance, with a hint of happiness still-she was probably overjoyed to have the finest Lucario in her kingdom's history back-and she nodded gracefully.

"An audience you shall have. Please, continue to enjoy the celebrations," she added to the crowd, "and celebrate yet again for the return of the Hero's partner."

With that she held out her hand, indicated a small, easily overlooked hallway between the portrait of Aaron and the wall behind the throne. Lucario nodded, and followed Ilene even as he grasped Ash's hand to tow her along. The three Aura Guardians fell in behind them, Ash's Pokemon keeping pace as they were led through the castle to a smaller throne room.

Ilene settled herself on the throne, eyes still a little wide.

"Are you truly the Lucario of the Hero?"

_My master's name was Aaron, and he was __this kingdom's strongest Aura Guardian,_ Lucerio confirmed, letting Ash's limp fingers slip through his paws as he took a few steps forwards. _The... the last time I saw him, he had sealed me within his staff, for my own safety. There were two warring armies that would have destroyed Rota had Sir Aaron not intervened, sacrificing his life in order to trigger the Tree of Life into action. I... I take it his body was never recovered?_

Ilene put a hand over her mouth, eyes glistening with emotion. "... No, Lucario. We had never been sure what happened, it was so long ago and there were no records. My ancestor, Queen Rin, only knew that Sir Aaron had left the castle on the back of his Pidgeot to save the kingdom."

The aura Pokemon let out a slow breath, shoulders slumping slightly before he collected himself. _I see... I can only express my relief that Queen Rin survived. My apologies, might I know the name of my new Queen?_

"My name is Ilene," she smiled gently. "Are you to rejoin us, Lucario?"

_M__y honor demands no less,_ Lucario offered a slight grin. _Though my honor also demands I ensure my master's young one learns to control her powers._

"So it's true? Miss Ketchum is of Sir Aaron's lineage?" The oldest Aura Guardian, a man with silver hair cropped close to his head and stern green eyes asked, his deep voice drawing everyone's attention.

Lucario hesitated, glancing back at Ash before looking straight up. _May I?_

Confused, and with a slight sinking feeling, Ash curled a hand up against her shirt, just above where her feathers were pulsing rapidly against her skin. Alto hummed soothingly, and she reached back with her other hand to tangle her fingers into fluffy white feathers.

Something was off, about this. There was something about this she knew she wasn't going to like.

A gust of wind, and a green pixie soared down from the shadows of the ceiling, coming to a gentle stop between Lucario and Ilene.

_'I shall explain,'_ Celebi, the Voice of the Forest, said softly. _'I cannot say everything, but what I can, I must. _

_'Hundreds of years ago, Aaron was one of the __Chosen. Such a role comes with great responsibility, and due to that, the Legendaries had to make some difficult decisions. As you know, the abililty to wield aura is closely connected to certain bloodlines. My sisters and I knew that the numbers of those capable would dwindle, if certain measures weren't taken. _

_'So we made a plan.__'_

Ash swallowed heavily, the sound of a door slamming shut echoing in her mind.

No, that couldn't be right.

She was just jumping to conclusions.

_'We selected several powerful Aura G__uardians of the time, and gave them six years. Six years in the far future, six years in which to sire a new generation of Guardians in order to revitalize the blood and Gifts,'_ Celebi continued, voice soft and laced with something close to guilt. _'And then we took them back.'_

"N-no," Ash said, voice shaking, because _that couldn't be right_. "No, he _left_, he _chose_ to leave us, that wouldn't-"

The door slammed again.

_'I am sorry, A__shka,'_ Celebi floated closer, eyes dark and a little watery. _'My sisters and I are tasked with many things, and this was one of them. Keeping the balance is not easy, child, and you will come to learn this in time. Your father had his own destiny, as much as he wished he could stay. He was needed in his own time.'_

There was a ringing sound, fuzzy and distant, and Ash stepped backwards, away from Celebi and the words she really didn't want to hear. It had been _years_ since she'd so much as thought about her father in any other way than 'I'm not going to be like him'_. _

Her Pokemon surrounded her, a protective barrier she could sink down and hide behind and _forget-_

_Hail, daughter of Aaron_.

No.

That couldn't be right.

He left.

The door slammed again.


	4. Chapter 4

**One more chapter while the muse is still babbling, lol. Things have been decided, and while this chapter is a little slow I wanted to give Ashka time to process before really getting into the plot. This arc may not be as action-packed as the movie but the goal is to get in more world-building and flesh out the character relationships while also setting the stage for the next arc. **

**I'm hoping that now that I'm getting better at balancing school/passions I'll be able to update regularly. Maybe not like with this and the last two chapters (I am as surprised as everyone else that I managed this much in so short a time) but definitely more often than a year between chapters, lol.**

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed, they really make my day and honestly I _cackled_ when y'all gave such wonderful responses to the last plot twist. **

* * *

_Well_, Lucario sighed, eyeing the place his master's child had been just moments before, a Legendary having been called by name and taken her away, _that could have gone better._

_'I told Mew she wouldn't take it well, especially after having known __**nothing**__ the last time around,'_ Celebi frowned.

Lucario had been told about why the changes had been made, about what had happened to the kind young boy he'd met in the first timeline, and he'd been excited to see him-her again. Despite having another soul merged within, Ash was Ash, and her aura had shown that. Much more mature, of course, the decades of experience of the other soul having seen to that, as well as the whole being a girl this time around, but it hadn't occurred to him that the revelation of her parentage would be unwelcome.

Of course, after having felt the overwhelming hurt and abandonment through her aura, he now knew why she hadn't reacted well.

"Lucario," the silver-haired Guardian cleared his throat awkwardly. "Does the child's mother know?"

The aura Pokemon shared a wide-eyed glance with Celebi, who shook her head, and he winced.

_That_ likely wouldn't go over well, either.

XxXxX

Delia wasn't sure what to think, after that Lucario from the legend had appeared form the staff her daughter was holding. She had understood why Ash had been ushered off along with the queen, it was definitely related to her daughter's aura abilities in any case, but then for _her_ to have been quietly summoned set her maternal instincts worrying. It seemed Samuel felt something was up, as well, though he wasn't able to accompany her.

Upon entering the throne room and seeing the Lucario but not Ash, she whirled to the nearest human with her eyes narrowed.

"Where is my daughter?" Delia demanded.

"It seemed she needed some time alone to come to terms with what she's learned," one of the men she assumed were Aura Guardians spoke up, stepping between her and the queen. "Something I believe you need to know as well."

Frowning, Delia reluctantly nodded, then had to force down a gasp when a semi-familiar green shape floated through the air and into her view. She, like anyone who'd ever worked with Professor Oak for more than a year or two, recognized the small figure of the mythical Voice of the Forest.

"Tell me Ash hadn't been sent through time," she begged, the only stories of heroes and time travel she'd ever heard of ending badly for the hero.

_'It__ was not Ashka who was sent,'_ Celebi sighed, lifting tired eyes to meet the woman's gaze squarely. '_It was your husband._'

Delia blinked slowly, having to take a moment to reconcile the words with the term 'husband' as she hadn't used it since Ash was little more than a toddler.

"I beg your pardon?" She asked.

Celebi shared a look with the Lucario, who grimaced, before turning back.

_'I and my sisters were tasked with ensuring the bloodlines of aura did not lose their Gifts over the years. To accomplish this we chose a small number of Aura Guardians several hundred years ago, and brought them forward in time, giving them six years to procreate, and thus ensuring the strength of Aura Guardians would be recovered. Sir Aaron was one of them.'_

It was certainly cold in the throne room, Delia thought absently. "What does Sir Aaron have to do with anything?"

'... _During his six years in this time, he went by the name of Gale Ketchum.'_

She remained silent for a long, long moment.

"And did he know? That he'd have to leave after so short a time?"

Celebi's silence was enough to send a wave of fury through Delia's petite frame, made worse by a new wave of grief for the man she'd loved and been abandoned by, who had crushed their baby girl's heart the day he'd left, who had broken _Delia's_ heart when he said what he did, then had the gall to claim it was better they both hated him anyways before slamming the door on his way out.

"Burn in hell," she said with a snarl, spinning on her heel and stalking out of the throne room, heedless of the shocked exclamations of those left behind. She had a daughter to find, to comfort.

Ashka had been so young when Gale-or was it Aaron? _Arceus,_ she'd never known him at all, had she?-left, but not too young to remember. When she was younger Ash used to have all sorts of nightmares about that day, crawling into her bed at night after propping all the doors in the house open with whatever she could find. The sound of a door closing with anything more than the bare minimun of force necessary had sent the little girl into panic attacks for _years_.

She didn't think she could ever forgive him for it, really. Ash had _loved_ her father, had adored him and wanted nothing more than for him to just _be there_, so Delia knew that this... this _mess_ would have brought up old scars, maybe even broken something that not even she herself had managed to when she told her daughter to leave and not come back.

Nevermind the hurt that Delia had suffered from her husband's absence, nevermind the way she had been left unable to sleep properly for years because of the single instance of ice cold blue eyes she had ever witness from the man. Nevermind her own internal conflict because beneath that cold had been so much pain she had refused to see.

Following a hunch she sought out staircase after staircase, making her way up to the castle's attic. Upon hearing the sobs she picked up the pace, flying up the steps and through the open door.

Alto's mournful voice wavered as she sang, lifting her head when Delia came into view. The massive, strange purple Pokemon that had been crouched beside her daughter shuffled to one side, leaving the other free for Delia to drop into and sweep Ash into her arms, eyes and throat burning as her strong, beautiful daughter immediately clung to her, strangling her hiccups and tears in the fabric of her mother's dress.

"I'm here, baby," she soothed, wishing she could take all the hurt away. "It'll be alright, I'm right here."

"He _left_, and then he _died_," Ash's voice was thick, hurt and anger and sheer grief making it wobble and break. "He just _fucked off_ to the _past_ and _died_-"

"Hush," Delia whispered, voice cracking even through her best efforts. She didn't want to hear that the husband who'd helped her plant her flowers even though he was allergic to them, fool man, was no longer with alive and hadn't been for centuries, didn't want to think about just _how much_ separated them, always had without her knowing.

Didn't want to recognize that her broken heart would never have closure, because for all that she had wanted to hate him she still loved him and hoped he would someday come back.

"Hush," Delia tried again, pulling Ash into her lap and rocking her back and forth slightly. A soft whine had her sighing and adjusting her grip so Titania could worm in between them, nuzzling and doing her best to soothe.

Ash wasn't the type of person who cried a lot. That _both_ times Delia knew of were related to Ga-_Aaron_ made the woman furious. No father should make his daughter cry, legendary meddling be damned.

_The worst part_, Delia allowed herself to think, _is that he's __**never**__ going to get the chance to apologize._

_Oh Gale, is that why you wanted us to hate you? You knew, you bastard... You knew you were never coming back._

XxXxX

Mewtwo couldn't help but cringe at every tear Ashka shed. If he were being honest, none of them expected such a reaction, though they probably should have. In the last timeline Ash had never been visibly bothered by his father's disappearance, but then again had never known exactly who he was, either.

And last time around Aaron's departure hadn't been quite so... final.

But last time around his only child's soul hadn't been shattered so badly it needed another to sacrifice its being to heal it, either... In Aaron's defense, the man had been so blinded by fury as to what the Legendaries had allowed to be done to Ash that even his incredible control had been shot to pieces.

Not that his response to being told he had to _leave_ his only child and go back even earlier than expected had been appropriate.

(Celebi had fudged the truth a little when she'd talked about the six year thing, it was supposed to have been ten and Aaron was supposed to have had time to introduce Ashka to both aura and the truth about her merged soul, but it turned out that resetting an entire timeline made time travel within two decades of it on either side unreliable and even more dangerous than usual.

Aaron may or may not have gotten into a shouting match of epic proportions with the Alpha, Creator, and Original One that had left the god in need of healing for damaged eardrums and therapy with Uxie for three centuries in a pocket dimension existing outside of time. The man had not been happy. Hell, his soul _still_ wasn't about to let go of his grudge against the Legendaries, or the regret and absolute heartbreak that had sunk in once he'd realized that his family's last memory of him had been of him angry, and thinking it was actually directed at them. It was a wonder he hadn't forcibly manifested himself as a vengeful Ghost type yet.)

Mewtwo had been shown the memories by his mother, but even second-hand they'd been intense, and for the record he was on Ashka and Aaron's side.

Sighing quietly as the Chosen One's sobs subsided to the occasional hiccup and sniffle, the cloned Psychic Legendary checked his senses again. The youngest of the three male Aura Guardians currently in Rota had been systematically searching the castle with his unfortunately limited range of aura sensing, but he'd finally managed to locate them and was on his way up the stairs.

Opting to stay where he was, bending the light around him so as to become effectively invisible and then cloaking his aura, Mewtwo did a brief surface scan and allowed the young man to enter the room.

That the young man looked oddly similar to both Aaron and Ashka made him pay close attention. Why would that-ah. Right. Aaron hadn't been the only one.

XxXxX

Riley had decided to withhold any emotional response until he'd gotten the chance to speak with the young aura adept his mentor had told him about. Chances were, if she hadn't known about her father's mission, she likely didn't know about him or his either.

Still, it was hard to have to witness that fragile, shattered expression when she'd been told the truth. He couldn't imagine having that sort of thing dropped on you, and he didn't blame her for needing space. But his situation made him the best suited to help her process it, so he'd slipped out of the throne room while Queen Ilene had begun grilling Lucario and Celebi about the 'poorly thought out and even _more_ poorly executed plan'. Best to steer clear of his Queen's temper until she'd dealt with it to her satisfaction.

Kind and gentle his Queen may be, but her rarely-seen temper was a thing of legend.

He finally found the aura adept in one of the tower attics, her mother already there and doing a wonderful job of stabilizing her. Her aura was still wild and erratic, but it was no longer actively lashing out, though only he, his mentor, Lucario, and the adept's new mentor had felt it.

Making a mental note to get in contact with his own mother and have her talk with Delia Ketchum, Riley cleared his throat softly.

"I'm sorry to intrude," he murmured politely, coming to a stop about a yard and a half away. "I just wanted to check on Ashka."

Delia gave him a searching look, relaxing when she noticed his age. "She's been better, of course..."

He nodded, biting his lip in the habit he really should have broken by now.

"Mrs. Ketchum," he began. "I may not understand everything Ashka is going through right now, but I do understand part of it. My father was also one of the Guardians that was brought forward in time."

Ashka's head jerked up, eyes red and puffy with tear tracks still wet on her face. Her aura flared, exhuastion warring with anger and hurt and guilt and just general misery. The Sylveon in her lap crooned, rearing up to gently paw at her face, clearing it as best it could.

"My father's name was Jaden," Riley continued. "He and his brother were both chosen to come to the future. Though it seems as though my uncle has made some very poor decisions in not informing his family from the very beginning of what his mission was."

Delia lifted her neck, eyes widened but the shock was quickly overwritten by relief mixed with some bitterness.

"And he went back too?"

"He did. My mother and I both knew that, though, I had been told since I was old enough to understand the gist of it. Even with the warning it was never easy, so I can't imagine how hard its been for you. I just... wanted you to know that even if Aaron and Jaden aren't here, you aren't alone. I do wish I had been able to track you down sooner, but I had no idea what name Aaron had chosen to go by."

"... Why didn't he tell us?" Ashka's voice was raw and hoarse, but she sat up fully, her Sylveon in her arms. "If he cared about us at all, wouldn't he have tried, at least? All he did was yell at Mom and leave!"

Wincing as her pain washed over his senses, Riley could only shrug inelegantly. "I'm sorry, cousin, I just don't know. It... It might be something you could find out, should you ever come across Uxie of the Lake Guardians, one of Sinnoh's Legendaries. It is the bringer of knowledge. But otherwise... Well. Some things, unfortunately, will always be mysteries."

Ashka scowled, swiping at her eyes roughly, and Riley caught a glimpse of pink scar tissue under the edge of her sleeves. Before he could even react, she stood.

"Alright. I'm done. We should get back to the throne room, I probably offended the queen when I left."

"You didn't, Queen Ilene was rather irate at the time-travelling plan herself. If you feel ready to go back, she'll likely want to introduce you to your mentor and then let you rest."

Nodding, Ashka gathered her Pokemon and collected herself, helping her mother up off the floor.

If she clung to the fabric at the back of Delia's dress on the way back, no one mentioned it.

XxXxX

Late that night, Ash hesitated over sending a message to Lance. She wanted very much to talk everything over with him, but on the other hand she still didn't know what to even say. Her own feelings were complicated and indecipherable, even hours after the revelation that her father was a time-travelling Aura Guardian who may or may not have been forced to leave, though the details were still unclear as Celebi had been reluctant to talk about that part. He also had hurt her and her mother and she didn't want to forgive him for that.

But was there any point in forgiving him? He was dead.

_That_ thought kept sneaking up on her, forcing the breath from her lungs and making it hard to inhale again.

Her fingers tightened around her PokeNav.

Almost before she realized it she had dug out a pair of headphones and plugged them in, the ringing in her ears her only warning before Lance picked up.

"Hey, Ash." His voice was soothing, and she felt herself relax to the point of limpness. "How're you feeling?"

Her laugh was bitter, rough like the crunch of broken glass beneath heavy boots.

"One month," she rasped. "I would like _just one month_ were I'm not either involved in some life-threatening danger or get bad news."

"What happened?"

"... Turns out, my deadbeat dad who walked out on us was actually a time travelling Aura Guardian who was made to leave by Celebi, and he's been dead for centuries."

"... You don't do things by halves, do you, sweetheart?"

The soft endearment _did_ make her let go of some of her choking frustration by flustering her, enough to let her blush a bit. Curling up against the wall, Ash sighed. Lance spoke again when it became obvious she wasn't going to talk just yet.

"So, what's the worst part about it? No, don't say everything," he interjected when she snorted incredulously, "I really mean the _worst_ part of it? We'll talk this out right now."

Ash's breath caught in her throat, a small sob working its way out, which she hated because she'd already cried so much today; her head was still pounding even hours after her first round of tears had dried.

"That I know he's gone," she said, voice wobbling. "And I know there's nothing I can do about it. That he's literally history so I don't have anything of his, and I can't talk to him and make him tell me why he never told me or mom who he really was. He was _Aaron of Rota, _Lance! It's only been six years since he walked out and s-s... and sl-_slammed_ the _door_," she managed to force out.

She would never forget that noise, or the way the windows had rattled with its force. Some nights those memories were worse than the ones where she was reliving captivity in Viridian's secret Rocket base.

"It's only been six years for me," she reiterated, suddenly feeling so very drained again. "A-and... I guess I just sort of thought that he might... might still be out there, you know? My dad's name is Gale and he was just gone but not dead. But now his name is actually Aaron and they've got a whole fucking psudeo-religion about him among other Aura Guardians and he's _dead_. As a doornail. Deader than a doornail. Fucking _dust_, by this point."

Slightly hysteric laughter escaped her lips and her free hand tugged at her hair harshly, waiting for some sort of response because she didn't know if she could talk without bursting into tears at the moment.

"... And you miss him," Lance murmured, the quiet realization making something deep inside Ash _hurt_. "You're allowed to miss your father, Ashka. Even if he wasn't the best father in the world, even if he hurt you, even if you hate him. Humans are stupidly complex, sometimes, and you can feel all of that at once."

"... I do," she admitted, voice cracking. And just like that the few things she _did_ remember about her father came tumbling out of her mouth before she could even think about holding them back. "He used to take me for walks in the woods, show me how to talk to wild Pokemon. Read to me and do all the silly voices. He had this _ridiculous_ falsetto for girl characters and it used to make me laugh so hard he couldn't keep it up 'cause he was laughing too."

His hands had always been warm, strong and safe.

When he'd left it had been like he'd took all the warmth with him for a long, long time.

Lance hummed, an encouraging sound, and she found herself quietly talking about all the things she missed about her dad. All the little things that never quite made sense until now, when she had all the pieces, like when he used to mutter to himself about 'the League' but it always felt like he'd been correcting himself at the last minute.

Confiding in her friend that she suspected those times were when Celebi had arranged to talk with him actually helped her situation sink in, and she tearfully admitted that right now, she resented Celebi for doing this to her, and even to Riley, a cousin she'd never known she had who was in the same position of having his father taken away and dying so long ago that it somehow made everything worse.

The young champion just let her talk, coaxed her to keep going until she was utterly wrung out and exhuasted, but no longer feeling like she was standing on a wire in a hurricane. Empty but stable.

"Thanks, Lance," she finally said. "I'm sorry to always be bugging you about crazy things, but I... thanks. For always listening."

"There's nothing to apologize for. You're my friend, Ashka, and if this helps you I'll listen to whatever you need me to, for however long you need me to... Do you think you'll be able to sleep, or do you want company to wait it out?"

"No," she said reluctantly, not wanting to deprive him of any more rest. "I should be fine... Probably too tired to dream at this point."

Thanking him again, they said their goodbyes and Ash slumped for a long minute before hauling herself back inside the hotel room. Everything ached inside and she hadn't been lying, she felt too tired to so much as breathe, she wasn't really worried about dreams or nightmares tonight.


End file.
